


Sinking

by R_S



Category: One Piece
Genre: Denial of Feelings, Drowning, M/M, Oh! The Fuzz, fuzzy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 01:32:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11749326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R_S/pseuds/R_S
Summary: Between the Cactus Island and Little Garden. Luffy keeps falling into the ocean, and when he's not doing that he's a clingy ball of happiness.





	Sinking

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own One Piece. Oda is the master, and we are all his slaves.

Bubbles make noise next to Luffy's ears and all around him, just before he's completely engulfed by salty blue waters. Gold sunlight dancing on the surface he's quickly moving away from. His arms and legs heavy. His chest... all of him... paralyzed. The first time he'd felt this was on that day he'd been thrown overboard as a child, by a dirty bandit too much of a coward to fight fair.

 

Salt washes across Luffy tongue, his mouth filling. Trickles of cool seawater snaking into each nostril to creep steadily down his throat. He forces his arms to move, holding weak palms over his face.

 

The minerals on his teeth tastes like blood. He had enough of it splattered on him, that day. The bandit getting himself eaten up, and served him right! Luffy sputtering and coughing, tiny seven-year-old hands coming forward to clutch onto the chest of the man holding him. And that when he'd seen it. Shanks' shoulder ripped open, with red all over. In the water.

 

Luffy's closed his eyes on the bright sunlight dancing on the glittering ocean surf above him. His ears full of water, muffled. He can only hear the beating heart of the Blue.

 

Having fallen into the sea so often, Luffy is well used to how his vision squeezes down, and the bottom of his lungs begin to ache for the air he can't get to. The rush of cold water getting colder, as he's sunk lower to a darker deeper level. Pulled down, as if he were made of iron. His Devil's Fruit rendering his body that way. A Hammer in the water. Cursed to never be able to swim the rest of his life, in trade for inhuman abilities that are propelling him forward in this era. The Blue waits for those like him. For them to be caught by the current, and so be reclaimed. The powers he's been bestowed returning to the roots of the twisted trees that grow such Fruits upon the surface, and leave the bodies of those now dead, bloated and pale. Dead fish-food on the ocean floor.

 

The arms that come around Luffy's cold body are warm, and solid. A strong grip that pulls the rubber man against a firm body, and he can feel the cords in the other man's legs that kick upward. Water displaced as he's being hauled upwards.

 

Breaking the surface of the water, the waves are even louder than the underwater heartbeat. Crashing and churning. Seagulls argue with each other as they sit on the white rail of the Going Merry not far away.

 

“I”ve got him!” Luffy's arms tingle with cold weakness, still mostly submerged in the salty surf. Wrapping as tightly as he's able, to the broad bronzed neck in front of him. Gasping and sputtering water out his nose. Zoro heaving his captain up onto deck, and Luffy's lying on his back with his arms out on either side. Blinking up at the sun.

  
“Dammit, Luffy!” Sanji's wearing an apron over a crisp blue suite. Fuming from the haze of cigarette smoke about his face.

Shouting, the cook bemoans the carelessness of his idiot Captain. Not looking where he's putting his hands. Getting flung over the side AGAIN. _And what if nobody saw you fall in!_ Nami and Vivi show equal scowls from where they're knelt over one of the navigator's maps.

 

But Luffy only laughs out loud, for the weight having lifted from his chest. The oppressiveness of the sea entirely gone, leaving his whole being in a euphoric hum of pure happiness to be alive. Rolling over onto his hands and knees, and seeing his green haired First Mate leaning his hip against the side. Ringing out his wet shirt.

 

Zoro's chest, the color of rich dark caramel sparkles for tiny beads of seawater sticking to him. Flapping the white material before he's hung it up in the rigging to dry. Green hamaraki soaking wet and sticking to his middle.

 

Luffy watches his nakama, moving to remove heavy leather boots and pour water out of them before he's disappeared below deck. Presumably to find dry pants to put on.

 

“Has Luffy-san always looked at Zoro like that?” Vivi's whispering to the Strawhat's redheaded navigator. A hand close to her lips.

“Oh yes, _always_.” Nami's grumbled, closing her gold eyes to beg whatever god there is for patience in not beaning her brainless captain upside his wet shaggy head.

 

The sea slips by, looking much the same for every hour that passes. No clouds, and a steady wind to bring them ever closer to the next island on their great voyage: Little Garden. Usopp's hammering drifts from the galley's open doorway, and Sanji's emerged with a tray of colorful drinks in tall glasses.

 

Luffy sits next to Zoro, the older raising no objection. When his captain's finished his drink and flumped into his lap, strawhat over his eyes, Nami leers at swordsman. Zoro's cheeks blazing.

“ _What_ , you damn sea-witch?”

 

Nami giggles for his anxiety, log pose glinting in the sun where it's fastened to her left wrist. Going with Vivi and Sanji, to give these two a little privacy while they prepped for dinner.

 

Zoro puts his green head back. Arms up behind him, and he's choosing to ignore the warm bubbles that settle in his chest as much as he can. His younger Captain's warm torso draped over his lap like a blanket. He'll still be ignoring every gentle sigh that escapes Luffy. And the way the younger man's arms snake unconsciously around his waist, when the swirly cook calls everyone in to eat.

 

“ _Shi- shi- shi-_!”

 

He'll ignore the spin of his stomach, when Zoro wrestles with that lithe rubbery body for the hunk of meat Luffy's stolen off of his plate. As well as the snickers, and sideways glances of the entire crew. The first one of them to call him a fairy is going to get cut up. Sanji setting down the salad, waggling one over-curled eyebrow at him because Luffy's just kissed Zoro's cheek. Overzealous for the smell of the food, and being surrounded by his nakama.

 

Someday Zoro might stop ignoring, or his _trying_ to ignore, and begin working out some of his own budding feelings. Nami's betting on it. With Vivi. A hundred-thousand beli.

 

“Zoro, why don't you and Luffy take watch together?” Orange lips edging up one side of her wicked face. It's worth every centimeter of Zoro's flushing cheekbones, a red blush that runs down his corded neck to get lost under his shirt. Vivi giggling beside the Strawhat's navigator. A gentle laugh she tries to hide behind her hands. Zoro's face absolutely blazing as he's reached for the sake bottle at the center of the table.

 

“Oi, shitty caveman! Use a glass!”

 

The sound of Luffy's bright infectious laughter echoes in Zoro's ears. Gulping at hot alcohol straight from the bottle, because fuck that twirly blond priss... Laughter that slides right into the former Pirate Hunter like one of his own dutifully sharpened blades. Making him even warmer than the booze. He continues to drink, trying not to notice. To not be effected.

 

“ _Shi-shi Shi-shi-shi_!”

 

Of course it's a battle he will lose, someday. Zoro knows that. But today, he can pretend. He can keep drinking. He can hold onto Luffy for just a little longer, without it meaning _anything_.

 

“ _Shi-shi_!”

 

Because he doesn't want there to be more. To create something that could be used against him, or simply taken away. They aren't on some domestic cruise across the four Blues. They're Pirates! sailing the Grand Line. They've no business beginning anything.

 

Zoro's jade eyebrows come together, as he's sat outside in the sea's breeze and closed his eyes. Drifting to sleep, oblivious to a certain rubbery body that curls into him. The rest of the crew quiet in their gentle _aww's_ (or in Sanji's case, silently dry heaving). Nami certain that she'll be collecting that one hundred-thousand beli very soon.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Reviews are always welcome and appreciated :3


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